Thursday, August 26, 2010

Who's buying your election?

Will you make a call to help stop secret corporate contributions to shadowy front groups? Call your senators and ask them to support Sens. Schumer and Leahy in bringing back the DISCLOSE act for a vote.

Thanks to your work on the Target boycott, millions of people now know about corporations' new power to buy elections. But here's the problem: Target's donation only came to light because of a state law in Minnesota. Under federal law, corporations can still spend money in secret to influence elections, using shadowy front groups.

How much of a problem is this? The Associated Press reported yesterday that the chamber of commerce is planning on spending so much for Republicans in this election that it constitutes a "virtual third party" in America.1 And other groups like Karl Rove's American Crossroads will spend millions more. Enough, potentially, to swing the whole election. All on behalf of secret corporate donors.

Congress has a bill—the DISCLOSE Act—that wouldn't stop these donations but would at least drag these donations out into the light by forcing disclosure of the donors behind the front groups. Republicans have blocked it once, but recognizing how many Americans are angry about the Target case, Sens. Charles Schumer and Patrick Leahy are leading a call to bring the bill back for another vote.

Can you call your senators today and ask them to support Sens. Schumer and Leahy in bringing back the DISCLOSE Act?

The DISCLOSE Act wouldn't bar corporations from buying elections, but it would be one step forward in citizens knowing just which corporations are behind the attack ads. And if the Republicans who blocked even these simple transparency requirements get away with it, we'll never be able to pass the stronger reforms we need to truly fix our democracy.

The Target boycott has shown our leaders that the public is growing tired of backroom deals and unlimited corporate influence. Let's turn that momentum into a concrete step toward curbing corporate control in Washington.

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